Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon admitted on Media Day in September that his time in D.C. may not last long, and that prediction looks to be true based on ClutchPoints' latest intel. The Wizards will likely buy out the veteran's contract if they don't trade him before the Feb. 6 deadline, via NBA insider Brett Siegel.

“In regards to the NBA buyout market, there are going to be very few options available. [Bruce] Brown could be a prime buyout candidate if he is not traded, and the same can be said for Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon,” Siegel said. “The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year won't be with Washington for too much longer, as it's expected that the two sides will part ways either by trade or a buyout, sources said.”

Buyouts are when a team and player agree to end their contract early in exchange for the player giving up some salary. Doing so with Brogdon (foot) would give Washington more cap room and more playing time for its other guards. The 32-year-old is averaging 24.8 minutes across 18 games thus far.

“Brogdon could command a strong market for teams seeking backcourt help if he were to be let go by the Wizards,” Siegel continued. “The Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Clippers, and Hawks would all be attractive destinations for him.”

Wizards got Malcolm Brogdon as temporary “culture builder”

Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) poses for a portrait during Washington Wizards media day 2024 at Capital One Arena.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers traded Brogdon along with Bub Carrington, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2030 second-rounder to the Wizards in July for Deni Avdija. The deal worked out for both sides, as Avdija is Portland's fourth-leading scorer with 14.1 points per game on 46.2% shooting across 28.4 minutes, while Carrington leads all rookies in minutes, assists, and steals. The Pitt alum is also second in three-point field goals made and third in player efficiency.

Although Brogdon was never a long-term fit on the rebuilding Wizards, they brought him in to help “build culture,” as he explained on Media Day.

“It's been good signs here of them trying to build culture the right way. That's the first thing they said to me, ‘We wanna build culture the right way here, you're a culture guy, we brought you in here to help us do that,'” the former Milwaukee Buck said. “In my mind, I'm thinking ‘Alright, I wanna see you guys do your part,' and they are, they're doing their part,” Brogdon said. “And that might not be a 50-win, 60-win season right now, you know.”

Having knowledgeable veterans like Brogdon to mentor young players is good for Washington's rebuild, even if it's only for a few months. Carrington, Kyshawn George, and Bilal Coulibaly are all people who have learned from the former Rookie of the Year.

At the same time, Brogdon has a $22.5 million salary on his expiring contract this season, via Spotrac. That along with the former Boston Celtic's injury issues make him hard to move at the deadline. If they can't flip him for assets, it makes sense for the Wizards to save money and a roster spot by buying him out now.

At this stage in their rebuild, keeping older veterans for the entirety of their contracts isn't the best business move, as they'd likely walk in free agency. That's why Brogdon, Kyle Kuzma, and Jonas Valanciunas have all been mentioned in the rumor mill. However, the latter two each have two more seasons left on their deals, so Brogdon's situation is more urgent.